Buying a flash-based camcorder

April 16, 2008 9:49 AM

Looking for an affordable (<$400) tapeless camcorder

Our Panasonic PV-GS9 is on its last legs. It records to Mini-DV tapes, and while the quality is good we've found we don't like dealing with tapes. The heads are vulnerable to failing, not to mention getting gunked up, but the biggest issue is storing and transferring clips to the computer. It seems it would be much more convenient to deal with SD cards (but I'm open to HDD if it's reliable). Cards are getting cheaper by the day, as well. Since we're also close to needing a new digital camera I'm hoping I can justify the price of a flash-based camcorder by using it in camera mode, too. I'd also like to shoot HD video, if possible. This is just for home video usage, by the way.
Am I asking for too much? Are there technical issues I'm not aware of?

My AskMeFi search didn't turn up anything directly relevant, but I apologize if I've missed a recent thread on this. I've also looked into Cnet and other online review sites, but since it's been 4 years since I shopped for a camcorder I'm a little overwhelmed. Also, the experiences of other MeFites is worth a lot to me, rather than spec sheets or websites with sponsors.

posted by monkeymadness to shopping (8 comments total)

The Flip Ultra has been getting rave reviews everywhere (viz). I have no personal experience with it though.
posted by Skorgu at 11:17 AM on April 16, 2008

Seconding the Flip. I have no personal experience with it, but the nerds (and Oprah) are all raving about it, and it's very inexpensive.
posted by designbot at 11:43 AM on April 16, 2008

You can look at pretty solid video over at vimeo, and the flip ultra isn't exactly at minidv resolution. So if you're leaning hd (which is higher resolution than standard), the flip is in the wrong direction for you. Frankly, I don't know the camera that does this for the price you're looking for. I think your solution might be the reverse. There's a number of new still digital cameras coming out that shoot in high def video as an added feature, so if you're looking to get a new camera and a high def video camera, you could solve it that way.
posted by history is a weapon at 12:21 PM on April 16, 2008

I have a Flip Ultra which I purchased last October and I love it. It's small and light enough that I carry it everywhere, I also like that its size makes it very unobtrusive to use (I dislike standing around looking like the Channel 5 Eyewitness News team has arrived on the scene). Video quality is..."YouTube."

It starts up and is ready to record immediately after you press the power button. It does surprisingly well in low-light situations. The rated capacity is 60 minutes of video, however, if you are recording something with a relatively static background (a playing field, for example), the length of video you can capture will be much longer. There's a 1/4" tripod mount (the standard size you find on most 35mm cameras) on the bottom; using a Flip with a Gorillapod has been especially fun. Uploading the content to a computer is very easy, you can choose to do it via the on-board software or just treat the Flip like a thumb drive and copy the files over by dragging them to your harddrive. File format is .AVI.

I've loaned it to many 9 year old boys who have bounced it through many adventures and it has returned intact and functional each time.

My criticisms of the Flip: no lens cap attachment. If the clear lens cover gets scratched, I'm not sure how that will get fixed. Can't swap in more memory cards on the go. Your computer will require unobstructed access to a USB port to accomodate the little flip-up arm containing the USB plug on the Flip as the arm is short and does not bend. The first two I consider fair tradeoffs for the cheap price of the Flip (~$140 for the Ultra), the third can be worked around with a M/F USB cable extension.

Regarding your specific requirements: the Flip does not do HD or stills.
posted by jamaro at 12:31 PM on April 16, 2008

Thanks for the Flip recommendations, but I'm hoping for higher quality video. I found a Sanyo has a model that seems to be what I want at the right price, but I won't know without a lot more research.
posted by monkeymadness at 12:39 PM on April 16, 2008

i have the flip, which is cute and easy to take around. i also have a sanyo, but the one that goes underwater, not the HD one. the sanyo is works quite well, is not as small but is still quite portable. i definitely prefer my canon sd1000 for still photos, although the sanyo can do still - even while videotaping. i think the worst thing about the sanyo i have is that it's not very wide angle, so you have to be somewhat back from your subject to film effectively.
posted by snofoam at 2:29 PM on April 16, 2008

My Aiptek A-HD does 720p, but the built-in microphone (there is no mic-in) is pretty awful. I think you're going in the right direction by looking at the Sanyo.
posted by bryanjbusch at 2:57 PM on April 16, 2008

I can't give you any specific advice, but I can point you in the direction of camcorderinfo.com, which I've personally found very useful.
posted by Magnakai at 4:53 PM on April 16, 2008